The color of barium sulphate, predominantly white, plays a crucial role in its identification and application across various industries. With the demand for high-quality barium sulphate soaring, choosing the right supplier becomes vital. Businesses must consider factors like purity, particle size, regulatory compliance, and customer service when sourcing barium sulphate to ensure they receive a product that meets their stringent requirements. As industries continue to evolve, reliable suppliers will remain indispensable in providing the necessary materials to support innovations and advancements.

As of August 7, the use of titanium dioxide in food is banned in the European Union. Europe is taking a precautionary principle approach based on findings from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Cosmetics

This route affords a product that is 29.4 wt % ZnS and 70.6 wt % BaSO₄. Variations exist, for example, more ZnS-rich materials are produced when zinc chloride is added to the mixture of zinc sulfate and barium sulfide.^[1]

However, most dermatologists will warn their patients not to rely on mineral makeup alone in order to be protected by the sun’s rays. This is because there can be quite a bit of variation with mineral foundation – not only with how much we apply but how much titanium dioxide the foundation contains.

Manufacturers get titanium dioxide from minerals called brookite, rutile, and anatase. It's processed into a powder and refined to meet strict safety guidelines.

In a lawsuit filed last week, a consumer alleged that Skittles were unfit for human consumption because the rainbow candy contained a known toxin – an artificial color additive called titanium dioxide.

0.1% Max

Safety

In an early study Jani et al. administred rutile TiO₂ (500 nm) as a 0.1 ml of 2.5 % w/v suspension (12.5 mg/kg BW) to female Sprague Dawley rats, by oral gavage daily for 10 days and detected presence of particles in all the major gut associated lymphoid tissue as well as in distant organs such as the liver, spleen, lung and peritoneal tissue, but not in heart and kidney. The distribution and toxicity of nano- (25 nm, 80 nm) and submicron-sized (155 nm) TiO₂ particles were evaluated in mice administered a large, single, oral dosing (5 g/kg BW) by gavage. In the animals that were sacrificed two weeks later, ICP-MS analysis showed that the particles were retained mainly in liver, spleen, kidney, and lung tissues, indicating that they can be transported to other tissues and organs after uptake by the gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, although an extremely high dose was administrated, no acute toxicity was observed. In groups exposed to 80 nm and 155 nm particles, histopathological changes were observed in the liver, kidney and in the brain. The biochemical serum parameters also indicated liver, kidney and cardiovascular damage and were higher in mice treated with nano-sized (25 or 80 nm) TiO₂ compared to submicron-sized (155 nm) TiO₂. However, the main weaknesses of this study are the use of extremely high single dose and insufficient characterisation of the particles.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles have also been found in human placentae and in infant meconium, indicating its ability to be transferred from mother to fetus. 

I don't see the scientific evidence in the literature that would cause people any concern, said Kaminski.

Analyst Insight